Coast leaders, service board in blame game over water crisis

by Paul Gitau

A war of words has emerged between Coast MPs and the management of Coast Water Services Board (CWSB) over the current water crisis in parts of Mombasa and Malindi.

Coast Parliamentary Group (CPG) vice chairman Gideon Mung’aro accused CWSB CEO Iddi Mwasina and his directors of allegedly selling the water pumps at Baricho water works.

Mr Mung’aro, who is also the Malindi MP, said he had made an impromptu tour at the water pumping station only to learn some pumps were sold as scrap metal.

He said Coast MPs had lost trust in the board and had booked an appointment with Water Minister Charity Ngilu and Prime Minister Raila Odinga over the issue.

"We cannot allow our people to trek for more than 10km in search of water because of a few greedy and corrupt managers," he said.

However, addressing a news conference at the Malindi Water and Sewerage Company offices, Mr Mwasina dismissed the allegations.

He said they only sold, as scrap, water pumps abandoned in stores for decades and that they followed all procedures before disposing of them. Mwasina said the current water shortage was a result of breaking down of one of the pumping machines while two others were vandalised.

Supply water

He said the situation was not alarming, as they had acquired water bowsers to supply water in the affected areas.

Mwasina said they had secured Sh500 million from World Bank to replace all the six pumps, the electro-mechanical system and pumps at the Baricho water works.

He said the project was expected to commence in two months’ time.

The CEO said once the project was completed in 2012, water shortage will become a thing of the past.